130 THE MnSflATUEE FRUIT GARDEN 



is, however, a consummation never attained in this 

 country. In other countries the balance seems to be 

 kept up, if not by spring frosts, by other destructive 

 agencies, such as excessive droughts. Some years since, 

 in travelling in the Touraine during June, I noticed 

 that the apple trees by the side of the railway for some 

 twenty miles or more were entirely stripped of their 

 foliage by caterpillars. 



The cost of the preparation of the ground will be 

 much reduced by opening trenches in the lines in which 

 the trees are planted ; if these are six feet apart a great 

 saving will be made. A trench will probably not cost 

 more than opening holes for each tree. 



The trench should be two feet wide, the first spit 

 thrown out, and the second spit of soil dug and left in 

 its place. 



The intervening soil can be cultivated with the 

 plough the first year, but spade husbandry must be 

 used after the trees have made a fair growth. 



DOUBLE GRAFTING OP FRUIT TREES 



I HAVE not been able to find this mode of culture 

 likely to be so beneficial to fruit gardens in England, 

 alluded to by the many authors of works on fruit trees ; 

 it may be ' as old as the hills,' and have no claim to 

 originality, but few so-called new ideas have. I can 



